title: Objective scoring of transformed foci in BALB/c 3T3 cell transformation assay by statistical image descriptors.
abstract: In vitro cell transformation assays (CTAs) have been shown to model important stages of in vivo carcinogenesis and have the potential to predict carcinogenicity in humans. Advantages of CTAs are their ability of revealing both genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens while reducing both experimental costs and the number of animals used. The endpoint of the CTA is foci formation, and requires classification under light microscopy based on morphology. Thus current limitations for the wide adoption of the assay partially depend on a fair degree of subjectivity in foci scoring. An objective evaluation may be obtained after separating foci from background monolayer in the digital image, and quantifying values of statistical descriptors which are selected to capture eye-scored morphological features. The aim of this study was to develop statistical descriptors to be applied to transformed foci of BALB/c 3T3, which cover foci size, multilayering and invasive cell growth into the background monolayer. Proposed descriptors were applied to a database of 407 foci images to explore the numerical features, and to illustrate open problems and potential solutions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 1, 20126 Milan, Italy. chiara.urani@unimib.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Urani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corvi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Callegaro
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Stefanini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D041702:BALB 3T3 Cells; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens
keywords: BALB/c 3T3 cell line; BD; CTA; Cell transformation assay; ED; EFP; FD; Feret diameter; Foci; MD; Morphological features; ROI; Statistical image descriptors; boundary index; equivalent diameter; in vitro cell transformation assay; median; perimeter of the circle with equivalent area; region of interest